Dundas Minerals Extends Gold Mineralization Below Previous Rockland Drilling
Key Takeaways
- Hole 26RKRC011 at Rockland returned two distinct gold zones below the base of all prior drilling, including 4m @ 4.87 g/t Au from 200m and 12m @ 1.25 g/t Au from 168m, extending interpreted mineralisation to approximately 170m vertically below surface.
- All three holes in the first batch of the 2026 Stage 2 programme returned mineralised intervals, with the mineralised system remaining open both down dip and along the 1km strike length already identified at Rockland.
- The current programme is part of a broader 38-hole, 5,000-metre RC campaign across Dundas's three Kalgoorlie gold projects — Rockland, Capricorn, and Baden-Powell — with further assay results expected progressively through the December quarter.
- Historical hole TLRC042, drilled by Paddington Gold in 2000–2001, returned 5m @ 5.52 g/t Au from 114m on the same section, adding geological weight to the interpreted east-dipping mineralised shoot geometry.
- Individual 1m assays on composite mineralised intervals remain pending, which will provide higher-resolution grade data within each reported intercept and could sharpen the resource interpretation.
New drill results deepen Rockland’s gold story
Dundas Minerals Limited (ASX: DUN) has received the first assay results from its current reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaign at the Rockland Gold Project, located approximately 40km north of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. The headline intercept, from hole 26RKRC011, confirmed two zones of gold mineralisation below the base of all previous drilling on that section.
The standout results from 26RKRC011 are 12m @ 1.25 g/t Au from 168m (including 4m @ 2.18 g/t Au from 176m) and 4m @ 4.87 g/t Au from 200m. These intercepts extend the interpreted mineralised shoots to approximately 170m vertically below surface, with mineralisation remaining open down dip.
All three holes drilled in this first batch returned mineralised intervals. This programme is part of a broader planned campaign of approximately 38 drill holes targeting 5,000 metres of RC drilling across Dundas’s three Kalgoorlie gold projects: Rockland, Capricorn, and Baden-Powell.
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2026 Stage 2 drilling results at a glance
The table below summarises the significant intercepts from the first three holes of the 2026 Stage 2 programme, drawn from Appendix 1 of the announcement.
| Hole ID | From (m) | Interval (m) | Grade (g/t Au) | Location / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26RKRC011 | 168m | 12m (incl. 4m from 176m) | 1.25 g/t (incl. 2.18 g/t) | Southern section (6638759mN); below base of prior drilling |
| 26RKRC011 | 200m | 4m | 4.87 g/t | Second mineralised zone; same hole; open down dip |
| 26RKRC012 | 52m | 8m | 0.93 g/t | North-west of southern section; western margin of corridor |
| 26RKRC013 | 104m | 4m | 0.43 g/t | Western margin; multiple lower-grade intervals |
| 26RKRC013 | 112m | 4m | 0.50 g/t | Western margin; multiple lower-grade intervals |
| 26RKRC013 | 164m | 4m | 0.48 g/t | Western margin; multiple lower-grade intervals |
Note: All intercepts are 4m composite results. Individual 1m assays are pending on mineralised composite intervals and will be used to verify these results.
Several contextual data points support the interpreted north-south mineralised trend at Rockland:
- 24RKRC009 (adjacent drill line, approximately 150m to the north): 4m @ 1.28 g/t Au from 68m (previously reported December 2024)
- Prior Dundas results on the same southern section: 6m @ 3.3 g/t Au from 78m (24RKRC005) and 8m @ 1.1 g/t Au from 145m (24RKRC007)
- 26RKRC012 and 26RKRC013 sit on the interpreted western margin of the mineralised corridor, returning lower grades but confirming mineralisation continues in that direction
Historical context: Paddington’s TLRC042 adds geological weight
Hole TLRC042, drilled by Paddington Gold Pty Limited during the 2000–2001 reporting period of the Windanya Project, returned 5m @ 5.52 g/t Au from 114m and 1m @ 1.90 g/t Au from 78m. Dundas is reporting this historical result for the first time in this announcement, with source records and a dedicated JORC Table 1 disclosed in Appendix 2.
Importantly, the announcement is explicit that this result provides historical exploration context only and does not establish continuity with the new intercepts. However, the proximity of TLRC042 to the new down-dip drilling conducted by Dundas adds weight to the geological interpretation of east-dipping mineralised shoots on this section.
What RC drilling results mean for junior gold explorers
Reverse circulation (RC) drilling is a method where air pressure forces rock chips back to surface through the drill rods, providing relatively fast and cost-effective sample recovery. It is a standard tool at this stage of exploration because it delivers reliable assay samples across significant depths without the higher cost of diamond core drilling.
A few key phrases from this announcement carry important exploration signals:
- “Open down dip” means the mineralised zone has not been closed off at depth by drilling. In practical terms, there is potential for more gold further down the plunge of the shoot, giving the programme a clear direction for follow-up work.
- “Open along strike” means the zone has not been defined at its lateral extents either. Mineralisation could extend horizontally beyond what has been tested, across the 1km strike length already identified at Rockland.
- Stacked mineralised shoots refer to multiple distinct zones of gold occurring at different depths within the same area, rather than a single thin intercept. Stacked shoots are significant because they increase the volume of rock that could potentially host economic gold grades, which is directly relevant to any future resource estimate.
- Composite versus individual assays — the current results are from 4m composite samples, meaning the assay reflects an average across four consecutive metres. Individual 1m assays from mineralised intervals are pending, which will provide finer resolution on where the highest grades sit within each reported interval.
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Rockland’s investment case builds drill hole by drill hole
Managing Director Jonathan Downes provided the following assessment of what the results mean for the project’s geological model:
Jonathan Downes, Managing Director
“This stage of drilling at Rockland has shown significant zones of stacked mineralisation, supporting the geological interpretation and it has significantly enhanced the prospects for Rockland to host significant gold mineralisation. We have tested below the existing drilling on one section and found high grade mineralisation…
While these are composite results, our geological modelling is consistent with stacked shoots that plunge to the east and remain open at depth and with mineralisation identified over 1 kilometre.”
Looking ahead, the company has outlined the following next steps:
Earlier results confirming high-grade gold shoots at Rockland established the 2km mineralised corridor interpretation that the current Stage 2 programme is now extending at depth.
- Further assay results are expected shortly from ongoing drilling at Rockland
- Results from Capricorn and Baden-Powell are expected to be received progressively through the December quarter
- A follow-up programme at Rockland is flagged as likely to be a high priority
- Individual 1m assays on composite mineralised intervals from this programme remain pending
Dundas holds three gold projects in the Kalgoorlie goldfields: Rockland, which is at the discovery stage and the focus of this programme; and Capricorn and Baden-Powell, both of which carry existing resources. All three projects are located in proximity to existing gold processing infrastructure, which the company notes as a feature of the portfolio’s positioning in one of Australia’s most established gold mining districts.
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